Welcome to November at Mitzi's Collectibles! That's the name of my antique business, and it's the time of year for me to really get in gear! All the outdoor antique shows are over here in Michigan, so shoppers are headed inside. And the holidays are coming up, as we all know, and they will not be ignored....
I just returned from a week in Florida with my mom, helping her get her house in ship-shape. She's selling it and moving to a smaller place nearby. Now that I'm back, I'm excited to tackle my antique mall spaces and Etsy shop and sell, sell, sell! I thought I'd show you where I do business besides my Etsy shop.
First we have the Livingston Antique Outlet in Howell, Michigan. Owned by Jeff and Lori Wengle, this mall is HUGE! It has over 35,000 feet of selling space! Jeff and Lori do a great job promoting the mall, and are always making improvements. We get a lot of customers from the Detroit area at "LAO", but it's a reasonable drive from the Lansing area too:
My first booth at LAO is a country/primitive booth right across from the Ladies' room that includes toys, dolls, glass and pottery in locked cases. I have a few non-antique items like candles and potpourri for folks that stumble in from the nearby clothing outlet mall and aren't into antiques (yet):
I always have a couple quilts for sale, enamel ware, and stoneware crocks:
I have a second booth at LAO, the "Mantiques" booth, right next door to my first booth. I sell apothecary bottles, bow ties, old signs, books, and anything else that I think would appeal to the men folk:
I recently hung this unusual Thanksgiving backdrop in my booth. I think it was probably used in a play or presentation years ago:
Next stop is the Antiques Market of Williamston. Owned by Bob and Chris Rogers, it's a 15 minute drive West from LAO. Bob is the hardest working person I know. He's there seven days a week, always thinking of ways to improve the mall for customers and dealers.
My largest space at "AMW" is the "Pink Booth", where not everything is pink. This cupboard has a nice assortment of transfer ware and flow blue:
I recently sold this pink painted cupboard, but many of the items inside are still for sale:
More pretties from the Pink Booth:
A lovely hand painted teapot:
I've had this beautiful furniture way too long! It's been hard to sell furniture the last couple years. Recently I decided to sell the pieces separately rather than as a set:
The garden lampshade I made last summer, a beautiful yard-long and lots of hat boxes:
I have a bank of three showcases full of jewelry, toys, and more valuable "smalls":
My other space in Williamston is a colorful country/primitive booth:
I sell lots of depression glass, yellow ware, and kitchen items from this booth:
A Shawnee corn platter and majolica corn pitchers along with other small items:
I almost forgot! I sell out of the ladies' room at AMW. I've sold several chandeliers and wall art. The ceiling gets many compliments:
Next stop: the Mega Mall. Owned by Rich Kelley, the Mega Mall is a hub of activity. Rich is a forward-thinking entrepreneur. He's all about making the Mega Mall a fun place to be! There are appraisal days, special sales, holiday parties, and outdoor flea markets in the warmer months.
I used vintage wallpaper as a background when I started my new booth at the Mega Mall back in August:
Here it is with all my goodies for sale:
Sales at the Mega Mall have been very good for me so far. It's a great place to shop for the inexpensive through the high end item. There's something for everyone at the Mega Mall!
Next on my agenda is getting out all of my Christmas decor. That's going to be an ordeal! I have a warehouse in an old lumberyard and my space is upstairs, full of holiday goods. I think I'll take some pictures and make a blog post out of it....
Mitzi
